What Is Holistic Counseling?

Holistic Counseling
Written By Kim Burris
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Last updated November 1, 2025

Holistic Counseling: A Complete Guide to Mind-Body-Spirit Therapy

Welcome in! Have you ever felt like something essential was missing from traditional therapy?

Like you understood why you struggled, but the understanding alone didn't create the healing you desperately needed?

You're not alone. 

So many of us have sat with our therapist, doing the work, excavating our childhoods, examining our patterns, yet still feeling stuck in the same cycles of anxiety, disconnection, and pain.

Here's what I've learned after 10 years as a therapist: healing requires more than insight. 

We need so much more than a mental understanding of what happened to us and why we are the way we are. More than just feeling our feelings and hoping the release will make us ‘better’. 

True transformation happens when we dive deep and learn to tend to all aspects of being human, when we invite the body's wisdom, listen to the heart's knowing, and make space for the soul's journey. When we learn to metabolize our past and co-create a new future. This is the offering of holistic counseling.

As founder and CEO of The Holistic Counseling Center and a therapist who bridges clinical psychology with psychospiritual wisdom, I've witnessed firsthand how this integrative approach creates the deep, lasting healing that traditional therapy alone often can't achieve. In my practice, I see it every day: clients shedding layers of old pain, reconnecting with their inner wisdom, and finally finding space to create a life that feels meaningful.

If you're feeling overwhelmed navigating this wild world, exhausted from trauma and relationship patterns that keep repeating, or simply sensing there's a deeper way to heal, you're in the right place.

In this holistic therapy guide, you'll discover:

  • What holistic counseling really is (and isn't)

  • How the holistic approach to therapy actually works

  • How it differs from traditional therapy (and why that matters)

  • The research proving its effectiveness for anxiety, depression, and trauma

  • Specific techniques and modalities we use to create lasting change

  • Whether holistic therapy is right for you

  • How to find the right holistic therapist 

  • What to expect in your first session and beyond

Whether you're seeking deeper healing than traditional therapy has provided, curious about integrating your spiritual path with mental health support, or simply ready to stop managing symptoms and start healing at the root, I hope and trust this guide will support you in taking the next step on your healing journey.

Ready to explore what’s possible when you include the mind, body, heart and spirit on your healing journey? Let’s dive in!

What is Holistic Counseling?

Holistic counseling is a type of therapy that treats the whole person—mind, body, heart, and spirit—rather than focusing solely on symptoms or surface level pain. It's an integrative approach that weaves together evidence-based psychological methods with alternative healing modalities like mindfulness, somatic practices, breathwork, and spiritual exploration.

Unlike traditional therapy that primarily addresses mental and emotional concerns, holistic therapy strives to create long-term healing and wellness by addressing the root cause of your challenges across all dimensions of the human experience. 

In practice, this means a holistic therapist considers:

  • Your mental and emotional patterns

  • How trauma and stress live in your body

  • Your relationships and social environment

  • Your spiritual beliefs and connection to your life’s purpose

  • The interconnection between all these aspects

Through holistic counseling, you can:

  • Heal the root cause of childhood wounds and trauma

  • Transform anxiety and depression, not just manage them

  • Develop a trusting relationship with your body's wisdom

  • Build deeply fulfilling, authentic relationships

  • Connect with joy, meaning and purpose in your life

  • Create sustainable change that will last

  • Feel more at ease, confident, and empowered

The key difference: While traditional therapy often focuses on understanding why you struggle, holistic counseling helps you transform those struggles by engaging all parts of yourself in the healing process. It's not just about insight, it's about integration.

If you're looking for an approach to therapy that will help you heal on a deep level and create lasting change in your life, holistic therapy can help. Read on to discover the principles that make this approach so transformative and how our team at The Holistic Counseling Center can support your journey.

How Does Holistic Counseling Work?

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Holistic counseling works by treating your whole being—mind, body, emotions, and spirit—as one interconnected system. Unlike traditional therapy that often focuses solely on symptoms, this integrative approach recognizes that true healing happens when we address all dimensions of your experience. By honoring the wisdom of your body, the intelligence of your emotions, and the depth of your spiritual nature, holistic counseling creates lasting transformation from the inside out.

Let's explore how this actually works in practice through the four domains of healing.

​​The Four Domains of Healing in Holistic Therapy

In practice, here's how each wellness domain supports psychospiritual healing:

1. Mental - Psychological Wellness

Your thoughts, beliefs, and cognitive patterns shape your reality. In holistic counseling, we explore how these mental patterns create your reality, examining what keeps you stuck while developing new neural pathways that support growth and healing. Using evidence-based techniques, we can help you shift your energy from rumination to presence, and from criticism to compassion.

2. Physical - Somatic Health

Your body encodes every moment of your life. It holds both your wisdom and the pain that talk therapy alone cannot always access or release. At The Holistic Counseling Center, we recognize that anxiety, grief, and trauma live in the cells of the body and can manifest as fatigue, chronic pain and various health conditions. Through somatic awareness and body-based practices, holistic therapy can help you reconnect with your body's innate healing intelligence.

3. Emotional - Heart-Centered Healing

Rather than managing difficult feelings, we teach you to work with emotional energy. We view emotions as messengers to be listened to, not enemies. Holistic therapy helps you increase your capacity for feeling your feelings, without being overwhelmed or being re-traumatized. 

4. Spiritual - Soul Connection

Whether you're religious, spiritual, or simply wanting to explore the mystery of being alive, holistic counseling honors that healing often requires deepening into our connection to something greater than ourselves. This might manifest as exploring your life purpose, connecting with nature, developing your intuition, or finding a deeper meaning in your struggles (hello Dark Night of the Soul).

Healing happens at the intersection of these four worlds. When you go deeper than understanding your thoughts or feeling your feelings—when all four domains are honored and worked with—you actively rewire your nervous system, the mind-body-spirit superhighway. This integration unearths the healing wisdom that's always been within you, waiting to help you transform.

How Does Holistic Counseling Differ from Traditional Counseling?

While traditional talk therapy provides valuable insights, it often focuses primarily on the past and symptom management rather than addressing root causes. Here at The Holistic Counseling Center, we incorporate the latest advances and wisdom from the fields of neuroscience, western psychology, nutrition, somatics, energy psychology, and spiritual traditions such as mindfulness, meditation, Ayurveda, breathwork, reiki and yoga.

We work with you to uncover and dismantle the underlying causes of your symptoms so that you can experience true and lasting change in your life, to experience more love, fulfillment, and joy. 

This approach has a transformative effect on the mind-body-spirit connection and can help you heal on an emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual level. Our holistic approach to counseling can provide a more well-rounded and effective form of treatment than traditional talk therapy alone.

Quick Comparison: Traditional Therapy vs Holistic Therapy 

Here's how the two approaches compare:

 

Traditional Therapy

  • Focuses primarily on mental/emotional symptoms

  • Often past-focused

  • Typically uses one modality

  • Symptom management

  • Weekly talk sessions

  • Confined to the medical model

 

Holistic Therapy

  • Addresses mind, body, spirit, and environment

  • Integrates past, present, and future vision

  • Combines multiple healing modalities

  • Root cause healing

  • May include breathwork, meditation, somatic practices

  • Considers nutrition, lifestyle, spiritual practices

 
 

Looking for a Holistic Therapist?

Book a free consultation call to get started.

The Spiritual Dimension: Why Spirituality Matters in Mental Health

Perhaps what most distinguishes holistic mental health counseling from traditional therapy is that it honors the mind-body-spirit connection and recognizes that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. 

This doesn't require any particular religious belief. Rather, it's an existential approach that explores what you believe about the meaning of life, why you're here, and why your struggles are showing up in the way they are. It’s scaffolding to help you connect to your own truth, wisdom and guidance so that you can anchor in to something larger than yourself, your ego and your symptoms. 

Many of our clients find it helpful to have a space to incorporate their spiritual beliefs into their therapy work. And for those who don’t have a particular faith or spiritual practice, they appreciate having space to explore some of these big meaning of life questions in a safe, non-judgemental space.

Our therapists are here to support you in finding your own truth and do not impose any particular spiritual beliefs. Whether you're deeply religious, spiritually curious, agnostic, or atheist, we welcome and honor your experience.

Spiritual Integration Without Spiritual Bypassing

At The Holistic Counseling Center, we believe healing is sacred work that's grounded in both clinical wisdom and spiritual truth. We honor both what research validates and what your soul knows to be true. We won't tell you to 'just think positive' or that 'everything happens for a reason.' Instead, we help you:

  • Find meaning in your struggles without minimizing your pain

  • Connect to your inner wisdom and intuition

  • Explore how your challenges might be invitations for soul growth

  • Develop practices that nourish your spirit

  • Honor both the light and shadowy aspects of your journey

How Therapy Becomes a Spiritual Practice

Many clients find that holistic counseling becomes a spiritual practice in itself. The therapeutic space becomes sacred ground where you can:

  • Safely explore existential questions

  • Process spiritual experiences 

  • Heal religious trauma or spiritual wounds

  • Develop your own authentic spiritual path

  • Learn to trust your inner knowing

This spiritual dimension isn't separate from psychological healing; it’s the thread that brings you back home to yourself.

I know this might sound beautiful in theory, but you're probably wondering if there's actual evidence that this approach works. Keep reading to learn about what the research shows us about the effectiveness of holistic counseling.

Does Holistic Therapy Work?

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Yes, holistic counseling is highly effective and evidence-based. Research consistently demonstrates that integrative approaches produce better outcomes than traditional therapy alone.

What the Research Shows

Proven Effectiveness Across Multiple Conditions Holistic therapy works because it often incorporates empirically validated treatments like CBT and psychodynamic psychotherapy, while adding complementary practices. Research suggests that integrative approaches can offer both physical and mental health benefits while being cost-effective for long-term healing.

Powerful Mind-Body Techniques Research validates specific holistic practices:

  • Mindfulness and meditation significantly reduce anxiety and stress

  • Breathwork techniques have been shown to reduce stress levels, regulate the nervous system, and promote relaxation, benefiting both physical and mental health

  • Guided imagery, commonly used in holistic practices, can improve sleep, enhance mood, decrease stress, and promote deep relaxation

  • Somatic and body-based practices demonstrate effectiveness for trauma recovery and stress-related conditions 

Superior Outcomes for Trauma According to leading trauma researcher Bessel van der Kolk in The Body Keeps the Score, holistic somatic therapies can resolve trauma that talk therapy alone cannot reach. This is because trauma is stored in the body's nervous system, not just in cognitive memory.

Enhanced Quality of Life Research on integrative mental health approaches consistently shows that clients receiving holistic therapy report:

  • Increased life satisfaction

  • Greater sense of meaning and purpose

  • Improved resilience and coping skills

  • Stronger therapeutic alliance with their counselor

  • More sustainable long-term outcomes

Why Holistic Counseling Is So Effective

Holistic counseling's effectiveness comes from expanding mental health treatment to include more than just your mind. When we zoom out and look at symptoms through a holistic lens, we get a much richer perspective and greater opportunity for deep healing. 

This approach works by:

• Addressing the Root Cause By uncovering and healing the underlying patterns creating distress, not just managing surface symptoms

• Activating Multiple Healing Pathways Engaging your body's natural healing wisdom alongside psychological processing

• Encouraging Active Participation Teaching you to take a more active role in your own health and wellness, so you can keep growing even after your time in therapy 

• Restoring Mind-Body Balance Using techniques that restore balance between mind and body, which reduces both emotional and physical symptoms of issues like stress and anxiety

• Creating Lasting Transformation Because holistic counseling addresses underlying patterns and teaches practical tools, the changes are more sustainable 

When to Combine Holistic Counseling with Other Treatments

While holistic counseling is highly effective on its own, some situations benefit from an integrated treatment approach. For severe mental health symptoms or acute crises, combining holistic therapy with conventional treatments, including medication when appropriate, can offer the best of both worlds: immediate symptom relief, plus the deeper healing that creates lasting change.

This isn't about choosing holistic therapy or medication, it’s about using all available tools to support your healing journey. Many of our clients find that holistic therapy enhances the effectiveness of other treatments they're receiving, creating a scaffolding that deeply supports their healing. 

Curious if holistic counseling can help with your specific mental health concerns? Let’s get into it.

What Issues Can Holistic Counseling Help Me With?

Holistic therapy can support deep healing, integration and growth in any phase of life. Whether you find yourself struggling with self-sabotage, trauma, anxiety, stress, depression or unfulfilling relationships, holistic counseling can help.

And a gentle reminder: you don't have to be experiencing a crisis or major life change to seek help. 

Think of holistic counseling as a self-care practice, similar to seeing an acupuncturist, getting a massage, attending a yoga class, or a meditation workshop. In each session you'll gain new skills, clarity, and momentum for creating a life you can navigate skillfully and actually enjoy.

Wondering if holistic counseling can specifically help you?

Here are a handful of mental health struggles that can be addressed in therapy (for a full list of our specialties here at The Holistic Counseling Center, check out this page):

What Techniques and Modalities Are Used in Holistic Counseling?

Here at The Holistic Counseling Center, we use traditional, evidence-based western psychological treatments as well as tools and practices from wisdom traditions, to help you make changes and support your healing journey.

Here are some of the more traditional, evidence-based treatments and modalities we use in our therapy sessions:

Here are some of the alternative healing modalities we incorporate into holistic therapy:

What Are the Benefits of Holistic Counseling?

The benefits of holistic counseling extend far beyond symptom relief. When we tend to and address all aspects of being human, transformation happens on multiple levels. Here are the key benefits of holistic therapy:

“True transformation happens when we dive deep and learn to tend to all aspects of being human, when we invite the body’s wisdom, listen to the heart’s knowing, and make space for the soul’s journey.”
— Kim Burris

1. Treats the Root Cause, Not Just Symptoms Unlike traditional therapy that may focus on symptom management, holistic counseling identifies and supports healing the underlying patterns causing your distress. This means lasting change instead of temporary relief.

2. Integrates Mind, Body, and Spirit Holistic therapy addresses all aspects of the human experience, not just your mind. This includes exploring and learning tools for supporting you mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. 

3. Offers Sustainable, Long-Term Healing By addressing root causes and teaching practical tools, holistic counseling often creates changes that last. You learn how to use tools and resources to support your own ongoing healing and growth.

4. Reduces Anxiety and Depression More Effectively Research consistently demonstrates the power of integrative approaches. Research consistently shows that combining traditional therapy with mind-body practices like mindfulness and somatic work enhances treatment outcomes significantly compared to conventional therapy alone.

5. Improves Physical Health Holistic mental health counseling recognizes and works to support the mind-body connection, often resulting in reduced chronic pain, better sleep, improved digestion, and increased energy (just to name a few benefits!).

6. Enhances Relationships and Connection As you heal and integrate all parts of yourself, your capacity for authentic connection deepens. Many clients report more fulfilling relationships and improved communication.

7. Develops Body Awareness and Emotional Intelligence Through somatic practices, mindfulness, Brainspotting and polyvagal therapy techniques, you learn to recognize how emotions manifest physically and use your body's wisdom as a resource for healing and decision-making.

8. Creates Meaning and Purpose Holistic therapy can help you find meaning and purpose in your challenges and struggles, supporting growth and wisdom without minimizing or avoiding your pain.

9. Builds Spiritual Connection Whether you identify as religious, spiritual, or not quite sure, our holistic counselors create space to explore life's bigger existential questions and connect with something greater than yourself.

10. Supports Self-Healing Rather than creating dependency on therapy, holistic counseling teaches you to become your own healer with practical tools you can use for a lifetime.

What to Expect During a Holistic Counseling Session

Holistic counseling is an expanded version of traditional talk therapy that weaves together multiple dimensions of healing. Yes, there will be talking, and meaning-making. Yes, we will look back at your childhood and explore relationship templates and how your past might still be impacting your present.

We will also explore beyond these themes of being human, and look for meaning and growth opportunities that involve your mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and existential life as well.

When you seek holistic therapy at The Holistic Counseling Center, we'll explore themes such as:

  • How does my childhood impact my current relationships?

  • What does it mean to be human?

  • What does my nervous system have to do with my emotions?

  • Is there a purpose for my suffering?

  • Why are the unique challenges I'm facing happening to me? And why now?

  • How can I lessen or end my suffering?

  • How does what I eat and drink impact my mental health?

  • Why can't I control my emotions?

  • I know what I'm struggling with, but how do I actually change it?

  • How do I experience more joy and love in my life?

What Happens in Your First Holistic Counseling Session

Your first session sets the foundation for your healing journey. Here's what you can expect when you begin holistic therapy at The Holistic Counseling Center:

Intentional Space

We begin with a mindful moment to help you get grounded, orient to the space and honor the energy it takes to show up and get started. This time might include a brief grounding exercise or moment of mindfulness to help you arrive and feel comfortable.

Comprehensive Intake

In addition to learning about your symptoms, we explore:

  • Your current challenges and what brought you to therapy

  • Physical health and somatic symptoms

  • Spiritual beliefs and practices (if you have any)

  • Lifestyle factors (sleep, nutrition, movement)

  • Relationships and social support

  • Your beliefs about healing and transformation

Collaborative Treatment Planning

Together, we'll identify which modalities and approaches resonate with you. Holistic counseling is not one-size-fits-all approach. A treatment plan typically includes traditional talk therapy combined with somatic practices, breathwork, mindfulness, or other modalities that align with your needs and beliefs.

Initial Practice or Tool

Most clients leave their first session with a simple practice or tool to begin integrating holistic healing into daily life. This might be a breathing technique, grounding exercise, or mindfulness practice.

How Long Does Holistic Counseling Take?

One of the most common questions about holistic therapy is regarding timeline: How long will it take?

The truth is, healing isn’t linear. It happens layer by layer, like shedding skin, and it often feels more like a spiral than a path with a beginning and an end. 

I know, probably not what you wanted to hear…but I find learning how to be with the process of change and healing is easier than the frustration that comes when we think 2-3 hours of therapy will ‘fix’ what’s accumulated in our system over a lifetime. 

All that being said, here's what you can generally expect as far as phases of treatment:

Initial Relief: 4-6 Sessions

Most clients experience some symptom relief and increased feelings of hope, ease and confidence within the first few sessions. You'll have new tools and insights that start to shift your nervous system, alter your mindset, and soften your heartspace. To gain momentum and experience relief it’s ideal if you come in for weekly sessions to start; less frequent sessions are possible but know that it can take a bit longer to start feeling better. We’ll work with you to find a frequency that works for your schedule and financial situation. 

Deeper Patterns: 3-6 Months

This is where the real transformation takes root. Long held patterns start to become clear, and you start making connections between what’s going on mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Old wounds begin to heal, as new ways of thinking, feeling and being in the world emerge. 

Integration and Embodiment: 6-12 Months

The changes you've been making start to feel natural. You're not just using tools; you're embodying new ways of being. Your nervous system is rewiring. Your heart is opening. You can access safety and confidence and are learning to deeply trust and love yourself.

Ongoing Growth: 1 Year and Beyond

Some clients choose to continue holistic counseling as part of their spiritual practice and personal evolution. Others move on to less frequent ‘maintenance’ sessions. Your therapist will support you in finding the right time to transition in and out of therapy.

And a gentle reminder: You are not broken and don't need to be "fixed." Holistic counseling is about remembering your wholeness and removing the barriers to your natural state of wellbeing.

Common Myths About Holistic Counseling (Debunked)

“While traditional therapy often focuses on understanding why you struggle, holistic counseling helps you transform those struggles by engaging all parts of yourself in the healing process: mind, body, heart and spirit. It’s not just about insight, it’s about integration.”
— Kim Burris

Myth 1: "It's Not Real Therapy"

Truth: Holistic counseling includes all the evidence-based practices of traditional therapy, plus additional modalities. Our therapists are licensed and associate clinicians, with either Ph.D or Master’s Level degrees, and trained in conventional psychotherapy methods.

Myth 2: "It's Only for Spiritual People"

Truth: While we honor the spiritual dimension, you don't need any particular beliefs to benefit. Holistic therapy meets you where you are, whether you're atheist, agnostic, religious or deeply spiritual.

Myth 3: "It Takes Longer Than Regular Therapy"

Truth: Research shows that integrative approaches often lead to faster, more sustainable results because they address root causes rather than just symptoms.

Myth 4: "Insurance Won't Cover It"

Truth: If your insurance plan covers psychotherapy, it will cover holistic counseling. You can learn more about our fees and how to seek insurance reimbursement HERE or ask all of your questions during a free consultation call. 

What Should I Look for in a Holistic Therapist?

The most important factor to consider when choosing a therapist is finding someone you feel comfortable with and can eventually trust and confide in. As with any relationship, this can take time and practice.

How do you know if the therapist you're working with is a good fit? Trust your gut. 

Just like when you meet a new friend, trust that part of you that feels a kinship or that you 'like' this person. If you feel like you can speak comfortably with your therapist, and are received with compassion, kindness, and curiosity, you're probably off to a great start.

Holistic Therapist Qualifications:

  • Licensed and Credentialed: Ensure they have proper clinical training and licensure (LMFT, AMFT, LPCC, APCC, LCSW, ACSW, Psy.D)

  • Integrative Training: Look for additional certifications in holistic modalities

  • Spiritual Openness: They should honor your beliefs without imposing their own

  • Somatic Awareness: Notice if they pay attention to somatic and energetic aspects

  • Collaborative Approach: You should feel like a partner in your healing, not a passive recipient

  • Cultural Sensitivity: Your therapist should honor your lived experience

Is Holistic Counseling Covered by Insurance?

The good news is that most holistic counseling services are covered by insurance when provided by a licensed or associate therapist. Here's what you need to know:

What Insurance Typically Covers:

  • Sessions with licensed therapists (LMFT, AMFT, LPCC, APCC, LCSW, ACSW, Psy.D)

  • Evidence-based treatments (even when combined with holistic approaches)

  • Mental health diagnoses that meet medical necessity

Maximizing Your Benefits:

At The Holistic Counseling Center, we help you understand your benefits and provide appropriate documentation for reimbursement (superbills). Many clients are pleasantly surprised to find a large percentage of their holistic therapy fees are reimbursed.

Finding the Right Holistic Counselor in California

California is home to many amazing practitioners and healing modalities. When seeking a holistic therapist in the Golden State, consider:

Location and Accessibility

The Holistic Counseling Center offers both in-person and online holistic therapy throughout California. If you want to work in-person, we have offices in:

Specialization Match

Each holistic therapist specializes in a variety of mental health concerns. At our center, we carefully match you with a therapist whose expertise aligns with your specific needs and preferences, along with considering your personality, scheduling needs and financial situation.

Cultural and Spiritual Alignment

We believe healing happens when we honor all aspects of who you are. Our therapists actively affirm and celebrate all identities, including race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, ability, neurodiversity, faith tradition, and the beautiful intersection of these identities. We recognize that your unique perspective and lived experience are strengths and an integral part of your healing journey.

“Holistic counseling isn’t just about managing symptoms, it’s about coming home to the truth of who you are beneath the anxiety, beyond the trauma, and through the pain.”
— Kim Burris
 

Holistic Counseling at The Holistic Counseling Center

What Makes Us Different

We deeply believe that healing happens when we honor all aspects of being human, not just the mind. Our approach combines:

  • Clinical Excellence: All of our therapists are licensed and associate clinicians and highly trained

  • Psycho-Spiritual Integration: We create space for soul-level healing

  • Evidence-Based Practices: Grounded in research and proven methodologies

  • Individualized Care: Your treatment plan is as unique as you are

  • Welcoming Environment: Our spaces (both physical and virtual) are designed to feel relaxing and safe

Our Specialties

We offer integrative psychotherapy for adults, teens, and couples, specializing in:

You can find our full list of specialties HERE.

Getting Started With Holistic Counseling

Holistic Therapy In-Person and Online

Ready to begin your healing journey? We offer both in-person and online holistic therapy with clinicians who bring depth, clinical expertise, and reverence for this sacred work. If you're in California, we'd love to work with you in person at our offices in San Francisco, San Anselmo, Berkeley, or El Dorado Hills. We also offer virtual therapy for anyone in California.

Taking the next step is simple:

  • Schedule a Free Consultation Call: During this 15-minute conversation, we'll listen to what's bringing you to therapy, answer any questions you have, and explore whether our spiritual somatic approach feels like a good fit.

  • Get Matched With the Right Therapist: Based on your unique needs, preferences, and scheduling requirements, we'll book an appointment for you with one of our holistic therapists who can best support your healing journey.

  • Begin Your Transformation: In your first session, you'll share your story, explore your goals, and begin learning tools and practices to support your healing journey.

Book a Consultation Call

We view the healing journey as sacred work, and it would be our honor to walk alongside you.

-Kim

Takeaway

Holistic counseling isn't just about managing symptoms, it's about coming home to the truth of who you are beneath the anxiety, beyond the trauma, and through the pain. By addressing your mind, body, heart, and spirit together, this approach honors both the depth of your struggle and your innate wisdom for healing. Whether you're feeling stuck despite years of inner work, experiencing a spiritual awakening alongside mental health challenges, or sensing that your healing requires something more than traditional therapy offers, holistic counseling creates space for all aspects of your journey. You don't have to heal alone. If you're sensing a gentle pull toward deeper healing, if something in these words resonates with that knowing place within you, we're here to support your journey back home to yourself. Book a free consultation call to take the next step on your healing journey.

Additional Resources for Your Holistic Healing Journey

As you continue exploring holistic counseling and mind-body-spirit healing, these resources from our site can deepen your understanding and support your journey:

Mind-Body-Spirit Integration

Holistic Healing Support

Practical Tools & Resources

Related Services

 

About the author

Kim Burris, LMFT is a licensed holistic psychotherapist, founder of The Holistic Counseling Center, and author of ‘The First 90 Days After Birth.’

She honors the mind, body, spirit connection and offers evidence-based treatment with a heart centered approach, integrating the depth of western psychology with the heart and soul of eastern mysticism.

Kim and her team currently offer holistic counseling to individuals in El Dorado Hills, CA and online. Click HERE to book a no-cost consultation call.

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References

Cortright, B. (2007). Integral Psychology: Yoga, Growth, and Opening the Heart. State University of New York Press.

Johnson, S. M., & Kurtz, R. (2015). Hakomi mindfulness-centered somatic psychotherapy: A comprehensive guide to theory and practice. W.W. Norton & Company.

Miller, L. (2021). The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life. Random House.

Schwartz, R. C. (2021). No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model. Sounds True.

van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.

Welwood, J. (2000). Toward a Psychology of Awakening: Buddhism, Psychotherapy, and the Path of Personal and Spiritual Transformation. Shambhala.

Wilber, K. (2000). Integral Psychology: Consciousness, Spirit, Psychology, Therapy. Shambhala.

Kim Burris

Kim Burris is a holistic psychotherapist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She specializes in supporting individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, spiritual awakening and motherhood. 

https://www.kimburris.com
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